The Glass Menagerie

Please help asap!

In Scene 1, Tom says that he will give the audience "truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion." In Scene 2, Amanda and Laura are victims of their own illusions. In a paragraph, discuss their respective self deceptions. How do these, as Tom says, illustrate a "truth" about life?
Asked by
Last updated by Aslan
Answers 1
Add Yours

Amanda is caught up in the illusion of her genteel old Southern upbringing, which has taught her that a man will support a woman and that there are certain foolproof rules for snagging one. Her experience, however, proves this to the contrary - specifically, when her husband runs out on the family and leaves her to fend for herself, and later when Laura's shyness prevents her from normal socialization. Still, Amanda never stops believing that a gentleman will soon call upon her and make everything right. At the same time, she inflicts these illusions and reality on her children - insisting that if Tom finds a husband for Laura, it will take care of all their problems. The idea that Tom can solve all their problems with a replacement is itself an illusion, one that's quickly eradicated by reality once he brings home a caller for Laura.